Autumn Change- Jade x Reader
by introspectiveSeeker
Summary: One of my favorite things about autumn is watching the leaves change into beautiful colors. Jade, my pen-pal, misses out on such an experience due to where she lives. So, I invite her to stay with me to experience the wonders of autumn. However, I find that it's not just the leaves that changed beautifully.


Notes:

[f/n]= first name

In this fic, you are eighteen years old.

I rake through the multi-colored leaves as I work them into a pile. Autumn has settled at my homeland, causing the ground to be covered in warm colored leaves. As such, it's my job to rake the leaves into neat piles. Why? Apparently to make the yard seem neat, but I think it's silly. Still, since Jade is arriving today, maybe I can put these piles to use.

Jade Harley has been my pen-pal since we were toddlers. We live very far from each other, what with Jade living on some island northeast of Australia. Where she lives, she doesn't get to witness the beautiful display of vibrantly colored leaves autumn has to offer. So I had offered for her to come stay with me for a few days for sightseeing. But truthfully, I just really wanted to meet her in person. I wonder what she looks like now? The only image of her I know of is the picture she sent me many years ago, when she was ten years old. Back then, she had dirt staining her clothes, a bandage on her cheek, her braid a frizzy mess, and mosquito bites dotting her arms and legs. But the wide, bright smile adorning her face was the most adorable smile I had ever seen.

Ok, I admit, I might have a little crush on that quirky, green eyed girl. I'm surprised she agreed to fly all the way down here just to see the leaves. I had asked her in a halfhearted, jokingly manner, prepared to be shot down. I mean seriously, not a lot of people would find the trip worth it. But Jade agreed, which made me skyrocket to cloud nine. Despite only being pen-pals, I consider her to be my best friend, and I finally get to meet her!

Finished! I lean against my rake to admire my work. Now then, it's time to go pick up Jade at the airport. I put away the rake and head into the house to grab my car keys, stopping for a moment to inspect myself in a mirror. Ok, I think I look good! I flash myself a smile before heading out the door.

I reach the airport early, so I settle down on a bench as I wait for her plane to arrive. I fiddle with the sign I had made, her name printed on it. I hope she'll find me ok. Once it's time, I make sure to be in front at the gate and I hold up the sign as high as I can. I wait patiently/anxiously for her to find me. People flood out, a flow of faces and voices that sweep past me. I try to not fidget as I start to get nervous. Am I at the right gate? Did she miss her flight? What's taking her so long?

Now there is only one person left: a girl with long, flowing black hair. She is stumbling around, as if asleep. I watch expectantly as she glances at me, then starts heading in my direction. She stops in front of me, her green eyes hazy with sleep. She glances up at the me, and the sleepiness is replaced with sparking happiness as she beams at me. "[f/n], is that you?" she asks me, her voice carrying a bubbly cheerfulness.

I, on the other hand, am too stunned to say anything. Jade has changed these past eight years. Her hair is far from frizzy anymore as it silkily cascades down her back. Her skin is smooth, free of blemishes, and is attractively tanned. She still carries a childish demeanor with her, but you can't deny her womanly charm. That's what it is: she's a woman now. She isn't that little kid with mosquito bites, Barney bandages, and dirt. Somewhere in my mind, I was still viewing her as a kid. Well, that image has definitely changed now. "Oh, uh, yeah, you're Jade?" I stumble out after realizing I have been staring at her for too long.

"Yep!" she replies. "So you are [f/n]!" She tosses her arms around me, pulling me into an embrace. "It's so good to finally meet you!"

I clear out my throat, nervousness making it hard for me to speak. "I'm glad to meet you, too!" I choke out. "You, um, sure did change a lot over the years."

She gazes at me warmly, her grin causing my stomach to bubble up delightfully. "You changed, too! I almost didn't recognize you."

Same here, I think to myself. I smile back at her, hoping the smile doesn't come across as creepy or awkward. "Come, I'll show you to my car," I tell her.

"Okie dokie!" she replies with a little salute. As we're walking, I chatter on about topics I would have discussed in a letter. I'm trying hard to act normal, because it feels like it's the first time we're meeting, even though we have known each other for eight years.

However, my chatter is halted to a stop when something warm collapses against me. "Jade?" I cry worriedly to find that she is passed out. I grab her and lower her to the ground to check her vitals. She is still breathing, and her heart is beating normally. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her. Oh, that's right! She has narcolepsy! The image of her sleepy eyes flashes in my mind, and I smile at her in exaggeration. "What am I going to do with you?" I sigh as I lift her into my arms.

I glance around me, searching for a attendant. I spot one, and shout over to him, "Hey! You! My friend passed out, she has narcolepsy. Could you carry her stuff to my car?"

The attendant walks over to me, staring at me suspiciously. It is kind of suspicious that I'm carrying around a passed out girl, but I hope the attendant doesn't call security or something. Luckily, he replies, "Sure," as he picks up Jade's luggage. "Lead the way."

I mentally sigh in relief as I reply, "Follow me." As I'm carrying Jade, I can't help but notice how light and small she is. And warm. Really warm, actually, and in this chilly air, I can't help but hold her closer to me. We make it the car, and while I'm carefully positioning her in the front seat, I instruct the attendant to put her stuff in the back. "Thank you," I tell the attendant as I slam the car door shut.

"No problem, but I must request that you wait until she wakes up before I can let you leave."

I sigh heavily. Figures. "Ok, I understand," I respond. I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as I patiently wait for Jade to come to. Luckily, a mere minute passes before she starts stirring, her eyes blinking awake. She glances around sleepily, her gaze focusing on me.

"[f/n]?" she says questioningly. "Did I fall asleep again?"

"Yepperz," I reply with a smile. "And this nice man wants to make sure you're ok."

She glances at the attendant with a sheepish smile, laughing embarrassedly. "Sorry, I have narcolepsy," she tells him.

"That's ok, ma'am," he replies. "I'm glad you are ok. You may be on your way now."

"Bye," I say in farewell as I insert my car keys. The car rumbles to life, and finally we're on the road to home. I glance at Jade to find she has her face buried in her hands.

"That was so embarrassing!" she whines. "I hate it when I fall asleep at the worst moments!"

I chuckle at her. To cheer her up, I teasingly tell her, "You look really adorable when you're sleeping, though."

"Shuks, [f/n], stop embarrassing me," she mumbles, her ears red.

"Hey, I say it how I see it!" I say with a laugh. "Now quit hiding your face and look out the window; you're missing out on the leaves." She peeks out from her fingers, glancing out the window. She lifts her head out of her hands, her eyes sparkling as she admires the view. I smile fondly as I peek at her every now and then.

She grins brightly at me as she exclaims, "It's so pretty!" She continues admiring the view while I drive, leaves fluttering past us.

When we reach my house, I take out her luggage for her. "Wait here," I tell her as I head into the house. "I'll be right back, I have something I want to show you." I place the luggage in the guest room and head back. "Over here," I tell her as I lead her into the backyard. My piles of leaves are, luckily, still intact. I briefly grin at her before diving into one of the piles.

"Ah!" she cries as the leaves sprawl around me. "Me too!" she dives into a pile next to me, her laughter chiming like bells. Like utter goofballs, we roll around in the leaves. I playfully grab a handful of leaves and dump them over her, the leaves tangling in her hair. She rebutes by tossing handfuls of leaves at me. Once we've tired out, we lay sprawled on the ground, side by side. Our fingers almost brush as we gaze at the sky, the clouds lazily floating above us.

"Thanks for coming," I tell her after having relaxed for awhile.

"No problem, I was really excited you asked me. I've always wanted to meet you," she responds. I feel something brush against my fingers, so I glance over to find her fingers are lightly pressing against mine. I glance away, and hesitantly, I gently wrap my fingers around hers. I feel her squeeze back, a sensation that warms my face as I smile softly. We both end up falling asleep, our fingers never leaving each others.

"Mmm," I mumble as I sleepily open my eyes. Ah! How long have we slept for? I glance over at Jade, who is still sleeping soundly. "Hey, Jade," I say quietly as I nudge her. "Wake up." She stirs, but her eyes remain shut. I keep nudging her, but she refuses to wake up. Oh well, I'll just carry her to her bed. I get on my knees, stretching briefly, before scooping her into my arms.

She snores ever so quietly as I carry her, her body still warm even after sleeping in the cold autumn air. We reach the guest room, where I gently ease her out of my arms onto the bed. I carefully maneuver the blanket out from under so I can cover her with it. Just as I pull away, ready to leave her to sleep, her hand grips my wrist. I blink in surprise, but she's still sound asleep. I try pulling my hand away, but she surprisingly has a tight grip. Like literally, she's not letting go! I'm practically dragging her with me as I try to pull my hand away! After realizing I'm not escaping her grip, and she's clearly not waking up, I realize that I'm going to have to stay with her until she wakes up.

I really hope she doesn't get mad at me about this, I think to myself as I settle onto the bed. However, it's hard to fall asleep when I'm facing her. Her face is so close to mine, and I can't help but have my eyes glued on her lips, her eyelashes, her soft skin, and her silky hair. Really, it's kinda hard to resist reaching out to touch her (Not pervertedly! Just to like, feel her hair or something). So I tightly close my eyes to block her out, but the image of her is burned into my mind. Urgh!

I don't know how I managed it, but at some point, my mind slips into the waves of sleep.

Only, the sleep didn't seem to last long when I am awakened by a sense of warmth. Specifically, warmth on my lips. I peek open my eyes to find that Jade is extremely closer than what she was before. And her lips are pressed against mine. I quickly squeeze my eyes shut before she notices. I'm thrown into a heated debate in my mind on whether I should pretend to still be asleep, or if I should let her know I'm awake. If she knew I was awake, would she regret what she did? What if this was all a mistake, something she had done on impulse? But if she truly feels the same way I do, I want to tell her so.

In the end, I find my hands gently gripping her shoulders as I press her closer. My lips move against hers, but she has completely stilled. I open my eyes to meet her widened ones, her face flushed a beautiful shade of red. Nervousness twists in my stomach. Did I make a mistake? I pull away and start stuttering out, "I-I'm so sorry, you were kissing me so I thought-"

I'm interrupted when her lips press back against mine. This time, her lips move rapidly, and I find myself falling into the kiss. Her hands roam to my hair, and I tangle my fingers in hers in response. Eventually we pull away, our faces heated. Jade's eyes are glazed over as she heatedly gazes at me, which sends shivers down my spine. "Don't be sorry," she says softly. "I really like it."

I gulp heavily before responding, "I really love you, Jade. I have for a long time, now."

"I love you, too, [f/n]. Since our first letter, I knew you were the one for me." She giggles happily as she buries herself against my chest. I smile lovingly at her as I stroke her hair. "I'm really glad I came to see how you changed!"

"I thought you came to see the leaves change!" I mockingly accuse her.

"That, too!" she exclaims.

I nuzzle the top of her head as I tell her, "Go back to sleep. We're going on a date tomorrow, so you need your rest."

She looks up at me and nuzzles her nose against mine before flopping back onto my chest. "Ok, but I want to make a scarecrow!"

"Definitely," I respond as my eyes droop shut.

I think that sometimes, change can be a good thing.

The End


End file.
